Process of shrinking and drying cloth



July 29, 1941. D. GESSNER PROCESS OF SHRINKING AND DRYING CLOTH Filed Sept. 12. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 29, 1941. GESSNER 2,251,127

PROCESS OF SHRINKING AND DRYING cLQTH Filed Sept. 12. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wwu .Evdemfofl ,I-ZEdsZ Fessner- Patented July 29, 1941 PROCESS SHRINKING AND DRYING CLOTH David Gessner, Worcester, Mass. Application September 12, 1938, Serial No. 229,498

1 Claim. (Cl. 26-485) This invention relates to the final process of finishing woolen and worsted cloth before delivery to the purchaser.

Such cloth is manufactured and sold under strict specifications as to the weight per yard which the cloth must show when delivered to the purchaser. Underweight cloth is severely penalized, with corresponding loss to the manufacturer.

It is well known that all woolen or worsted cloth has an aflinity for moisture, and that dry cloth will absorb moisture if the cloth is exposed to ordinary atmospheric conditions, and will gain weight until a certain normal moisture content is attained.

As a result of this known action of woolen or worsted cloth, it frequently happens that cloth which is penalized as underweight when delivered to the purchaser becomes full weight by simple exposure to ordinary atmosphere and is resold as full weight and without penalty.

It being manifestly unfair that the same piece of cloth should be underweight in one transaction and full weight in another transaction, it is the object of my present invention to provide a process of finishing woolen and worsted cloth by which such cloth will have the same'weight per yard when delivered to the purchaser that it will have after reasonable exposure to ordinary atmospheric conditions.

Otherwise stated, it is the object of my invention to provide an improved process by which cloth can be delivered to a purchaser in such condition that it will neither gain nor lose perceptible weight by exposure to the ordinary atmosphere.

A further object of my invention is to provide a process by which excess moisture is supplied to the cloth, with unusually thorough and efiective shrinking, and by which said moisture is thereafter removed by a drying and pressing operation until the normal moisture content only of cloth reasonably exposed to usual atmospheric conditions is retained.

My invention further relates to certain ordered steps in procedure which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Apparatus suitable for carrying out my improved process is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the moistening and shrinking portion of such apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the drying and pressing portion of the apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a pile of cloth C disposed in folded condition on a truck I by which it may be conveniently presented to the apparatus. The cloth C passes over guiderolls I l and I2 and is then drawn downward and around guide-rolls l3, l4 and I5 in a steaming device [6. The cloth then travels upward around a guide-roll H to a driven feed roll 20.

The cloth is then drawn over a spray pipe 2! and around a suction roll 22 having a suction nozzle 23 mounted therein. The suction roll and nozzle may preferably be of the construction shown in detail in my prior Patent No. 2,017,455, issued October 15, 1935.

The cloth passes from the suction roll 22 around a guide-roll 24 and a second driven feed roll 25, and is deposited in a downwardly contracted chute or so-called sweat-box 26 in which said cloth is closely packed and folded.

As the cloth leaves the lower end of the chute or sweat box 26, it is deposited on a conveyor belt 21 supported on driven rolls 28 and 29 which move the cloth, still in folded and wet condition, slowly to the right as viewed in Fig. 1. A blanket or covering 2! may be removably supported above the conveyor belt 21.

The cloth C is then drawn upward past a guide bar 30 and guide-roll 3| by a driven feed roll 32 and may collect in a scray S, from which it is drawn out by feed rolls 33 and delivered to a series of guide rolls 34, 35, 36, 31 and 38 (Fig. 2). These rolls direct the cloth along paths adjacent rotary brushes 39 and 40 by which the two faces of the cloth may be smoothed and brushed. The cloth then passes under a guide-roll 42, over a rotatably mounted drum 43, and under a guideroll 44, from which point it passes around the heated main cylinder of a rotary press and between said cylinder and a pair of heated ironing members 46 and 41. The cloth may then pass around a guide-roll 48 to any usual delivery mechanism, such as a feed roll 49, folding device Ill, and truck H.

The ironing members 46 and 41 are pivotally connected by links 50 to the upper ends of actuating levers it, two of said levers being preferablyprovided for each ironing member. The levers 5| are mounted on pivots 52 and are connected by links 53 and 54 to rocking members 55 mounted on a rock shaft 56.

Preferably the links 54 for the levers 5| at one side of the machine are adapted to yield under heavy pressure, thus limiting the pressure which can be applied to the cloth passing around the main cylinder 45. Any convenient mechanism may be provided for rocking the shaft 55 and members 55, such as a crank arm in and link 6| connected to any suitable source of power.

The rotary press is preferably of such construction that steam at unusually high pressure and temperature may be used in the main cylinder 45 and ironing members 46 and 41, and the press is also preferably capable of operating at relatively high speed.

Coordinated driving mechanism is provided for driving the feed rolls 2|, 25 and 32 and the conveyor rolls 2' and 2!, all in predetermined speed relation. Mechanism is also provided for driving the feed rolls 3! and the main cylinder 45 at appropriate speeds.

As substantial shrinkage of the fabric takes place in the sweat-box 2S and on the conveyor 21, it is desirable that the feed roll 32 be driven at a lower surface speed than the roll 25. The desired speed of the main cylinder 45 is such as will allow for the subsequent stretch which takes place during the drying and pressing operation. The slack folds of cloth in the scray S between the rolls 32 and 33 accommodate any slight inequalities in rate of feed in the diiferent portions of the apparatus.

It is to be understood that the mechanical features herein disclosed are illustrative only, and that my improved process is not limited in its application to the use of any specific moistening, drying or pressing apparatus.

The moistening and shrinking apparatus shown in Fig. 1 forms a portion of the subject matter of my prior Patent No. 2,132,156, issued October 4, 1938, and the rotary press shown in Fig. 2 forms a portion of the subject matter of my pending application Serial No. 229,497, filed September 12, 1938.

In the practice of my improved process I coordinate the successive steps of the process in such manner that the finished cloth will be delivered from the main cylinder 45 with the normal moisture content which the cloth would otherwise acquire by exposure to ordinary atmosphere. This normal moisture content may be previously determined by experiment and may be attained in the finished cloth by suitable adjustment and regulation of the apparatus. I prefer to regulate the moisture content of the finished cloth by adjustment of the suction in the vacuum extractor or suction roll 22. The amount of moisture in the cloth as delivered successively to the sweat-box 26, the conveyor 21 and the rotary press may thus be increased or decreased to provide the desired percentage of moisture in the finished fabric. The cloth as it enters the press is quite wet, as compared with the cloth commonly delivered to such presses.

By the use of my improved process, the finished cloth is of standard weight and is in normal condition as to moisture, and is not subject to substantial change, even if left in storage for a considerable period. 7

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

The continuous process of final shrinking and finishing of woolen and worsted fabrics which comprises molstening the fabric, drawing the moisture into the fabric and leaving a predetermined and substantial amount of moisture therein, subjecting the 'moistened fabric to a sweating operation for a predetermined and substantial period of time, subjecting the sweated fabric to an ironing and drying operation, and determining the amount of moisture drawn into the fabric before sweating at such an amount that said fabric, at the moment of delivery from the ironing and drying operation, will have substantially the normal moisture content that such fabric would otherwise have after subsequent and substantially prolonged exposure to ordinary atmospheric conditions as to temperature and humidity.

DAVID GESSNER. 

